Aloha All,
I just read about attempts now going on in Congress to make the PATRIOT
act
permanent. I would like to resommend that EVERYONE contact their
representatives and let them know how you feel on this issue. I have attached
a text copy of the letter I have sent to the Honorable Neil Abercrombie and
Honorable Daniel Inouye.
Please take the time to attend to your civic duties.
Thank You,
Deven Phillips
To the Honorable Mr. Inouye,
It has come to my attention that certain portions of our esteemed
congress have started actions to make the reforms of the PATRIOT act permanent.
As a longstanding believer in personal privacy and personal freedoms, I would
like like you, as my representative in the US Senate to know how at least some
of your constituents feel.
The PATRIOT act was condemned by many during it's inception, and has
been tolerated due to the perceived threat of terrorist actions. The only
reason that the PATRIOT act was allowed in the first place was the time limit
imposed. To allow the PATRIOT act to become a permanent part of US law would be
a serious degradation to the ideals put forth in the Constitution of the
nation. While I agree that there are many reasons that having the PATRIOT act
make seeking out dissidents in this country far easier, the potential for abuse
abounds.
I forsee a time when freedom of thought and freedom of expression will
become things of the past; and the United States will become a police state
where it's citizens are afraid to voice their opinions in public, over the
phone, on television, or on the Internet. This vision of the future becomes
possible if the PATRIOT act is allowed to become permanent.
A quote that one of our wise forefathers made brings this issue into
perfect clarity for me: "A society that will trade a little liberty for a
little order will lose both, and deserve neither". These words were true in the
day of Mr. Jefferson, as they are true now. As we trade away small liberties in
the form of privacy and self-expression, we give away large portions of what
have made this nation great. Every day of our lives is a risk, and when we
attempt to remove that risk at the cost of our liberty we lose that which we
consider our lives. A life is nothing without freedom and self-expression.
I send you these words knowing that as an American and a true patriot
in the service of the people, you will weigh your options carefully and decide
in the best interests of the people of the United States.
Your Fellow Patriot,
Joseph B. Phillips
